Many passive methods of killing flying insects have been used in the past. One of the oldest is the use of flypapers, to which flying insects are attracted and upon which they become trapped. A fairly recent method of using flypaper is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,911,756 which discloses a flexible sheet backing with a flypaper-like or insecticidal substance on one side and, on the other side, a pressure sensitive adhesive, enabling a user to mount the sheet on a wall or other surface.
Containers for flypaper tend to be separate structures into which flypaper or other bait is placed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,434 is such a device--a perforated plastic outer canister into which a roll of flypaper is inserted.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,972,993 discloses an insecticidal device with a perforated cover sheet coated with an insecticidal agent over a core with an insect attractant.
Other methods of killing flying insects have involved the use of controlled release insecticide dispensers, such as the well known SHELL No Pest Strip. Many of the recent approaches to controlling insects involve the use of laminated articles which release insecticides over time. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,666,767 and 4,193,984 are examples of this approach.
Prior art devices for killing insects thus have primarily been either very simple or fairly complicated and therefore relatively expensive to produce. The simple, flypaper strip devices have the drawback of the insect killing and trapping substances being easily accessible to animals or humans and having the dead insects either attached to the surface of the device or lying beneath it, making disposal awkward and unpleasant.
Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a device for holding an insect-attracting bait that is simple and inexpensive, both in manufacture and in use.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a device that limits access to the bait by children and animals, both because of its structure and its intended placement.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a device that incorporates a means for preventing dead and dying insects from littering the surrounding area.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a device that can be easily and neatly disposed of after it has performed its function.